Overhead door



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. H. M CLOUD OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Sept. 6, 1952 July 9,1935.

INVENTOR /4 EDWARD H. McCZdUD.

ATTORNEY July 9, 1935. E. H. M CLOUD 2,007,688

\ OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Sept. 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NV E. NT 0 R 501mm446-61000.

fa mvam ATTORN EY Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES,

- PATENT aoomsa OVERHEAD D OOB Edward H. McCloud, Columbus, Ohio,uslgnor to General Door ration of Nevada Company, Reno, New, I. corpo-Application September 6, 1932, Serial No. 631,8

9 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in overhead doors of thearticulated type, and has tor its object to provide means, in connectionwith the door, for forcing it into close enga ement with the wallssurrounding the doorway closed thereby.

It is an object of this invention to provide, in connection with anarticulated door, means to guide the door from an open to a closedposition, and means adapted to act upon the door as it reaches a closedposition to securely force the door into contact with the walls of thebuilding surrounding the doorway closed by the door.

It is particularly the object of this invention to provide means on anarticulated door to guide the door as it moves to and from aclosedposition and to force the door against the door jamb as it moves to aclosed position.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a spring-operatedmeans which tends to retard the door as it nears either a closedposition or an open position.

I These and other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through anarticulate door and the adjacent part of the building to which the dooris attached, showing the guideway for the door and the means for holdingthe door in closed position.

Figure 2 is an inside view of the door in closed position.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3, showing a slightly modifiedform 01' apparatus for forcing the door against the door jamb.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing the structure found in the upperlefthand corner of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing one side of the door and the mannerin which it is supported and operated.

Figure '7 is a section on the line 'i'i of Figure 5.

The wall of the building to which this door structure is attached isindicated by the numeral i and has the usual overhead ceiling 2 anddoorway 3, adapted to be closed by the door. Around the doorway and onthe inside of the building is a strip 4, which constitutes the jamb partof the wall structure. Fitted within the doorway and attached to thewall or the building and also to the strips 4 are strips 5, againstwhich the door is adapted to engage when in closed position.

There is also'provided on one side of the strip 6 a wedge strip 8 whichextends beyond the strip 4 towards the doorway and slightly over thestrip 5 to engage the door for close seating engagement to preventrattling and the passage oi! air and moisture between the door and thejamb.

In order to accommodate these wedge strips, one on each side of thedoorway, the door is provided with notches la. The door itself isdivided into a plurality of articulated sections 1 connected by means ofhinges which are composed of straps 8 united by pins or pintles 9.

These pins extend beyond the sides of the door, and each has on itsprojecting end a roller III which engages and travels along a traekwayll suitably attached to the strip 4 as is clearly shown in Figure 3.These trackways, one on each side of the door, are supported on thestrips 4 by means 01' brackets l2, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Thelower section of the door has on its lower end a strap l3 which takesthe place of the strap 8 and carries a spindle I4 with a roller thereonfor engaging in the trackway.

On the upper edge of the upper section of the door, at each sidethereof, is a plate I5 which has adJacent its upper end an upper bracketIt to which one end oi a link i1 is attached. The other end of this linkhas thereon a roller l8 which fits in and is guided by the trackwayduring the operations of closing and opening the door. Beneath the upperbracket I6 is a lower bracket l9 which extends further inwardly than theupper bracket, and has thereon a pin 20 with a roller thereon adapted toengage in a slot 2| formed in a bracket 22 located on the upper end ofthe strip 4.

The purpose of this bracket with the slot 2i is to cause the upper endor the door to firmly enga e the jamb to form a close fit and preventrattling of the door and any opening thereof for the admission oi. airinto the building closed by the door. For this purpose the slot slopesdownwardly from its open end toward the jamb of the door so that as thedoor moves downwardly its upper end is forced toward the jamb.

The main part of the trackway is vertical and has extending upwardlytherefrom an arcuate part 23 which extends into a horizontal overheadpart 24 for supporting the door in elevated or open position. Suitablyattached to each side of the door is a cable 25, which extends upwardlyalong one side of the doorway and over a pulley 26 which is supported bymeans of a bracket 21. After passing over the pulley 26 the cable passesaround a pulley 28 and back to the pulley 26, where one end of it ispermanently attached. To the pulley 28 is attached one end of a spring29, which has its other end attached by means of a hook 30 to a bracketor projection 8| attached to the free end of the horizontal part of thetrackway.

The form shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 differs 0! ears 38 which hasextending therethrough a pintle It, to which one end of an arm I! isattached. Around each pintle is formed a coil spring II, one end orwhich engages the plate 32 whiletheotherendengagesthearmliandtends tohold the arm more or less in an extended position parallel with thedoor.

Thearmliisin theshapeotabellcrankand has adjacent its elbow a roller 31which engages the traekway that guides the door in its movement to andfrom a closed position. The part of the arm projecting laterally fromthe main body of the arm is indicated by the numeral 38,

-and has on its end a shaft 38 which supports a roller l0 adapted toengage a closure shoe ll attached in any suitable manner to a bracket42. In the present instance each shoe is attached to the bracket bymeans of slots and bolts so that the shoe may be adjusted to take upwear and lost motion. The bracket 42 is similar in all respects to thebracket 21 and is attached to some part of the building in any suitablemanner and carries a pulley similar to the pulley 26.

While the counterpoise spring structure is not shown in the present formit may be used with this form as well as the form shown in Figure l. Thecable used in connection with the door 0! Figures 4 to 6 is indicated bythe numeral 44 and passes over a roller 43 supported on the bracket 42.

The spring 36 serves two purposes, one to cooperate with the shoes H toforce the upper end of the door into close engagement with the wall ofthe building around the opening closed by the door. It also serves tohold the arm I! in a substantially parallel position in regard to thedoor when the door is in an overhead open position. This spring alsoprevents any rattling or play between the arm and the plate to which thearm is attached.

It will be understood that it is desired to comprehend within thisinvention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims andthe invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, whatisclaimedasnewanddesiredtobesecuredby Letters Patent, is:

1. In an overhead door, in combination, with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a trackway on each side or the doorway. each trackway extendingup one side oi. the doorway and horizontally away from the doorway, adoor for closing the doorway, a plate at each edge at the upper end ofthe door, an arm for each plate pivoted, at one end to the plate andhaving at its other end a roller engaging in a trackway, and cooperatingmeans on each arm and on the wall to force the door against the wall,said means comprising a shoe on the wall and a roller engaging the shoe.

2. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing said doorway, a trackway on the wall on eachside 01' the doorway, an arm at each side 01' the door pivoted at oneend to the door, a roller on each arm intermediate its ends engaging atrackway, a roller on the other end 01' each arm, and means engaged bythe last-named rollers to force the door against the wall as the doorapproaches a closed position.

3. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing said doorway, a traclrway on the wall oneach side of the doorway, an arm at each side of the door pivoted at oneend to the door, a roller on each arm intermediate its ends engaging atrackway, a roller on the other end oi each arm, and meansattached tothe wall above the tracks and ensued by the last-named rollers to forcethe door against the wall as the V door approaches a closed position.

4. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing the doorway. a guide member on each side ofthe doorway tor guiding the door as it opens and closes, an arm for eachguide member pivoted at one end to the door adjacent the guide member,means on each arm intermediate its ends for ens ain: the guide member, aroller on the other end 0! each arm, and an adjustable shoe membersupported on the wall on each side of the doorway and engaging theroller for pressing the door against the wall.

5. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing the door way, a trackway on each side of thedoorway, anarm for each edge of the door pivoted at one end to the edgeof the door at its top, means tending to hold the arm in a positionsubstantially parallel to the door, a roller on each arm and guided by atrackway, the other end of each arm being oiIset, a roller on said otherend, and means to engage the roller on the end of the arm to force thedoor against the wall.

6. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing the doorway, a trackway on each side of thedoorway, an arm for each edge or the door pivoted at one end to the edgeof the door at its top, means tending to hold the arm in a positionsubstantially parallel to the door, a roller on each arm engaging andguided by a trackway, the other end 01 each arm being oil'set, a rolleron said other end, and a closure shoe supported by the wall to engagethe roller on the end of the arm to force the door against the wall.

7. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing the doorway, a trackway on each side of thedoorway, an arm for each edge of the door pivoted at one end to the edgeof the door at its top, means tending to hold the arm in a positionsubstantially parallel to the door, a roller on each arm engaging andguided by a trackway, the other end of each arm being offset, a rolleron said other end, and an adjustable closure sh'oe supported by thewall, and engaging said last mentioned roller to guide the door to itsclosed position.

8. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorway, adoor for closing the doorway, a trackway adjacent the doorway, a shoeadjacent the trackway, an arm pivoted at one end to the door, a rolleron the arm intermediate its ends engaging the trackway, and a roller onthe other end otthe arm for engaging the shoe.

9. In an overhead door, in combination with a wall having a doorwaytherein, a door for closing the doorway, a trackway adjacent thedoorway, a plate on the door, an arm pivoted at one end to the plate, aroller-on the arm intermediate its ends to engage the trackway to guidethe door, the other end of the arm being bent towards the plate a rolleron said other end, and a cam shoe adjacent the trackway adapted to beengaged by the last-named roller to force the door against the wall.

EDWARD H. McCLOUD.

